Transformation in contact centres

10/09/2019

Lea

The customer service is changing rapidly. Especially advancement in technology and a shift in consumer behaviour have a large impact on the transformation we see today. In this article, we will examine what shapes the industry.

Driver of Change

The contact centre industry is changing due to a shift in consumer expectations, behaviour and advancement in technology. This development also demands a change in traditional customer service.

Customers preferred the telephone over any other medium to answer their queries. Moreover, customers felt more comfortable speaking to a human agent than to an interactive voice response unit. In the past, the only way to solve a problem was by speaking to customer service, until the internet made an unlimited amount of information available. Consumers became accustomed to solving problems by themselves at any time.

At the same time, Google has set an expectation that the answer to every question can be found among the first page of search results within mere seconds. The increasing collection of data also lifted personalised service to a new level. This raised expectations around constant availability, tailored answers to customer preferences and quick resolve times.

Reshaping customer service

Fortunately, advancing technologies such as AI-based Chatbots address customer needs with the personalisation and speed consumers have come to expect. Moreover, they enable customers to reach companies on their preferred channels, devices and apps.

With the rise of messaging as the preferred type of communication, chatbots simulating interactive human conversation are becoming increasingly important for customer service as well. Chatbots in customer service enable customers to pose their questions directly in a chat, instead of waiting minutes in a hotline or days for an email response. AI solution providers offer AI solutions for contact centres such as automation of repetitive queries or complex processes via chat and a smarter self-service.

It is expected that Chatbots will be responsible for cost savings of over 8$ billion per annum by 2022 (Juniper Research). Integrating Artificial Intelligence is necessary for companies to handle the increasing amount of incoming requests and constant availability.

AI-powered Chatbots offer an individual and convenient real-time communication channel without requiring unrealistic amounts of customer service agents. AI empowers companies to scale their customer service capacity and create a unique touchpoint for customers while saving costs.